On the box: 21 top telly picks to watch this week

From talent shows to foodie favourites and everything in between, here's our round-up of this week's TV

Saturday

It’s back. The shiniest, most expensive talent show in Blighty, and returning to the helm is show runner Simon Cowell.

Now his US version of The X Factor has folded, the pop svengali has come home for the 11th series of the programme which turned the likes of Leona Lewis, Olly Murs and One Direction into stars.

From now until December, TXF will dominate weekend nights on ITV, and one man who’s sat through every series is Louis Walsh.

The question is: how will the male judges get on working alongside returning judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini (or Cheryl Cole if you prefer) and the outspoken Mel B?

Well, that remains to be seen, but we can tell you that the all-dancing Dermot O’Leary is back as host for the seventh year.

As the auditions kick off, millions of fans settle down to boo or cheer the latest batch of deluded divas and nervous warblers. The minimum age for acts has been lowered to 14, and there’s every chance the world’s next big recording star could be making their TV debut tonight.

There will be plenty of competition between the judges too as Cheryl and Simon have both mentored two winning acts, while Louis has backed one.

As Mel B has yet to prove herself, and 2013 winner Sam Bailey was such a tough act to follow, it should be one of the most interesting contests so far.

A Dalek fleet surrounds a lone rebel ship, and the Time Lord is the only person who can help the crew, but needs Clara by his side as he once again faces his arch-enemies.

The Doctor is confronted with a decision that could change the Daleks for ever, being forced to examine his conscience as he tries to find the answer to the question ‘Am I a good man?’ Sci-fi adventure, starring Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman.

Through the Keyhole

ITV Wales, 9.25pm

New series. Last year, Keith Lemon snooped around the homes of stars as varied as Mary Berry, Joey Essex, Amir Khan and John Prescott, inviting panellists to guess their identities. Returning for a second series of the revived game show, he welcomes chat-show host Jonathan Ross, TV presenter Ruth Langsford and comedian Alan Carr to the studio.

Using clues highlighted along Keith’s tour of each home, and with the help of the audience, the guests try to work out which famous faces have handed over their house keys to the Celebrity Juice funnyman.

Sunday

In 1995, when The Fast Show was starting to take off, Clive James touched down in Buenos Aires for one of his blissfully funny Postcards From shows.

He examined the subject of gauchos in that episode, but from a distance, preferring to sample steak and the tango instead.

Now it’s Fast Show mates John Thomson and Simon Day’s turn to visit South America for arguably the most engaging Argentina-based documentary since then.

Of course the latest comedy cowboys could have sampled the night life with local ‘Portenos’, or enjoyed a tango show at Esquina Carlos Gardel. But this is not one of those city-themed travelogues that James used to do so well.

Instead John and Simon prefer to experience life the way thousands of cowboys, or gauchos have for centuries. Their friendship will be tested as they undergo three intense weeks of training, learn how to handle horses, and come to terms with lassoing and herding.

Eventually the magnificent two will work alongside traditional gauchos on a cattle drive in the foothills of the Andes Mountains.

Their challenge is not for the faint hearted. The city slickers hope to bring 200 cattle down a mountain pass, a mere 50 miles of riding over three days and nights.

Aside from seeing the funnymen pushed to their limits, it offers a fascinating insight into the threatened culture of the Argentinian gaucho.

Come On Down! The Game Show Story

ITV Wales, 7pm

The Chase’s Bradley Walsh has proved to be the perfect choice to front this series charting the history of popular UK game shows. He knows his stuff - you don’t get to preside over one of ITV’s most popular weekday quizzes without doing your homework - but with a background in both professional football and stand-up comedy, he’s not averse to a bit of friendly banter, either.

A bit of wit and repartee is something which is integral to the game show format, and has been for years, as we find out in this final edition of Brad’s show. In it, he focuses on how game shows have evolved, going as far back as The Golden Shot, which was popular more than 40 years ago.

He meets the man known to millions as Bernie the Bolt, and even has a go at lining up the famous crossbow himself. There’s also a look at how the role of women has changed over the years, from the days of hostesses such as Anne Aston to the impact of presenters including Anneka Rice and Carol Vorderman in the 1980s.

The Great War: The People’s Story

ITV, 9pm

It’s 1917, and with the war in its darkest phase, everyone knows victory can only come at a long, slow and painful cost. So many lives have been lost that now men previously exempted from military service are being called up.

This programme tells the story of three of them - Glasgow shipbuilder Arthur Roberts (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), sent into the Battle of Passchendaele; Duff Cooper (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) the debonair lover of Lady Diana Manners (Tuppence Middleton); and Londoner Ted Poole (Gerard Kearns), just 18 years old and the last of his father’s sons left alive. Narrated by Olivia Colman. Last in the series.

Monday

21 Up: New Generation

BBC One, 10.35pm

The ‘...Up’ series first started way back in 1964, with Seven Up!, a remarkably forward-thinking documentary which featured a group of seven-year-olds, and revisited them every seven years with the latest instalment, 56 Up, airing in 2012.

Hardly surprising, then, that in 2000 the Beeb took it upon themselves to instigate a new iteration of the much-loved show, highlighting the lives of a whole new generation of people from all walks of life and who hail from every corner of the country.

They include John, a builder from Slough who works hard to support his two passions in life: music and BMX. Meanwhile, Ryan from Bolton, who suffers from cerebral palsy, is studying for a sports degree while harbouring a dream of playing for the GB wheelchair rugby team. He’s come a long way since last we saw him, and he’s enjoying the new-found freedom which his car affords him.

It all goes to show what a difference seven years can make - for some of the subjects, their lives have taken unexpected turns and seen them in places they never thought they’d be; for others, meanwhile, we’re reminded of the last time we saw them as long-held ambitions begin to be realised.

It was 2007 when we got our last chance to catch up with the gang - they were 14 at the time. Now, they celebrate a true milestone as they celebrate their 21st birthdays. As they are adults, does the future seem any clearer to them?

Jamie’s Comfort Food

Channel 4, 8pm

New series. Jamie Oliver gives some of the nation’s favourite dishes a twist, reinventing British classics like shepherd’s pie, rustling up outdoor treats and transforming old-school desserts such as pavlova and sticky-toffee pudding.

In the first edition, the chef takes on three comfort foods at his home in Essex, and he’s joined by friend Christian, or ‘DJ BBQ’, to reveal his ultimate burger - including what cut of meat to use, how to cook it and what to have on the side. Plus, Jamie’s secret sauce recipe.

Alex Polizzi: The Fixer

BBC Two, 9pm

New series. The hotelier and entrepreneur returns to help more struggling firms, this time finding solutions for certain critical issues that lead to the closure of many companies. She begins by visiting Paul Walker, who set up a micro-brewery in the heart of the Devon countryside, but has seen his finances spiral out of control and his family life begin to suffer.

Alex shows him how to capitalise on the growing popularity of British real ale overseas, with a trip to Paris revealing interesting export opportunities for his products.

Alex Polizzi: The Fixer

Tuesday

Harry at 30

ITV, 8pm

If you can still remember Princess Diana posing with her youngest son on the steps of St Mary’s Hospital, then prepare to feel very old - on September 15, Prince Harry will turn 30.

Prince Henry of Wales, to give him his official title, has grown up in front of the cameras, and while there may be some photographs he’d rather forget, he’s gone on to become one of the most popular members of the royal family.

Now this programme attempts to go behind the headlines and find out more about his path from mischievous youngster to respected soldier.

Among those contributing to the programme are some of the royal correspondents who have charted his life, including Ingrid Seward of Majesty Magazine, and the Evening Standard’s royal editor Robert Jobson, who speaks about a run-in with the young prince.

But it’s not just press attention that Harry has had to deal with - he also lost his mother in 1997, when he was still just 13.

Former press officer to the Queen, Dickie Arbiter, talks about the devastating impact of her death, and the programme also explores how Harry has found his own way to continue her legacy by working with disadvantaged children and issues around HIV and AIDS in Africa, and helping to set up the charity Sentebale.

That’s not the only cause close to his heart - Harry is also passionate about the military, even serving on the frontline in 2007.

But in one respect, Harry can never be like any other soldier - he’s arguably the one of the most eligible bachelors on the planet.

And as the programme looks at what the future holds for him, OK magazine’s royal editor Chrissie Reeves, journalist and writer Celia Walden and Harry’s friend Joss Stone speculate on the woman who could convince the prince to take a leaf out of his brother William’s book and settle down.

Dogs: Their Secret Lives

Channel 4, 8pm

Dogs are pretty great creatures. They love hanging out with their human buddies and don’t seem to have a care in the world - or do they? We wouldn’t normally associate canines with mental health issues, but the final episode of this eye-opening series suggests that some of their most extreme behaviours could indicate they are suffering from certain issues, including obsessive compulsion and chronic fears.

In an attempt to prove it, the programme’s makers introduce us to three troubled pets. Max is a German shepherd who spends much of his time spinning on the spot, collie Biscuit can’t stop chasing buses and Roxy the Staffordshire bull terrier seems to be afraid of the great outdoors.

Thankfully, there does seem to be help at hand courtesy of developments in brain scanning equipment which help owners and vets work out the root of the problem and how to treat it. On a cheerier note, Mark Evans, the RSPCA’s former chief vet, wraps up the series by meeting dogs with incredible learning abilities.

New series. In a spin-off from their show The House That £100K Built, journalist and senior V&A curator Kieran Long and architect Piers Taylor come to the aid of homeowners taking on ambitious building projects, but have all sorts of problems to solve.

In the first programme, they help former nurse Dawn, who dreamt of a relaxing home for her retirement, but an impulse buy has left her with a tiny cottage that’s so small she won’t even invite her family round. They also offer advice to Angela and Dale, whose disastrous extension has blighted their lives for nearly a decade.

Wednesday

Welsh Memories of World War One

BBC One, 10.35pm

The generation of Welsh men who fought in World War One has now passed. However, their first-hand testimonies live on, along with those of the women and children they left behind, through interviews filmed during the last decades of the 20th One.

Technological developments changed the course of war – aeroplanes were just one of the new inventions employed, taking the brutal fight into the skies. Cardiff-born Hubert Williams was flying bombing raids over enemy lines within weeks of joining up. In the programme, he recalls his experiences there and how he expected to be killed.

The effects of war were not just physical, nor did they only affect those fighting on the battlefields. Rupert Rees, from Aberdare speaks about his Uncle, who suffered shellshock during the war and was transferred to a Bridgend hospital, along with many other sufferers. Also, as the mood at home changed with the growing loss of life, O.M. Roberts, from Llanrug, describes how villagers often feared the worst upon seeing the boy on his red bike delivering telegrams, which often brought news of casualties.

Our Zoo

BBC One, 9pm

New series. Drama based on the true story of the Mottershead family, who made a huge personal sacrifice to establish Chester Zoo in the 1930s - despite staunch opposition from the locals. Lee Ingleby stars as ex-serviceman George, still haunted by memories of the First World War and frustrated that he and his family have to live with his parents.

An animal lover, he is unable to stand by while an unwanted monkey and camel are put down in the quarantine bay at the docks, so he houses the animals in his mum and dad's backyard. The family think he is losing his mind - but for George it's the spark of an idea. Liz White, Anne Reid, Ralf Little and Sophia Myles co-star.

Grand Designs

Channel 4, 9pm

New series. Kevin McCloud returns to follow more home-design projects. Rob Hodgson and Kay Ralph plan to build a sleek glass-fronted house on a crumbling clifftop in Gwynedd, taking inspiration from the villas of California.

However, access will be extremely difficult and expensive because of a low bridge over the narrow track to the site, and problems arise when one of the heaviest storms in recent history batters the coast. To make matters worse, erosion specialists predict the property could fall into the sea within just 60 years and the pair are prohibited from reinforcing the cliff face.

Grand Designs

Thursday

Chasing Shadows

ITV, 9pm

The League of Gentlemen’s Reece Shearsmith plays DS Sean Stone in this new series, a misfit who struggles to deal with people and is reassigned to a missing person’s unit after offending his boss.

There he meets Ruth Hattersley, who learns to deal with Sean’s odd quirks and habits, and quickly realises how useful he could be when it comes to finding lost souls. Alex Kingston portrays her, and Noel Clarke has been cast as their boss, DI Prior.

Their first case involves the disappearance of 16-year-old schoolgirl Taylor, and will be told over two nail-biting episodes. She’s initially thought to be a routine runaway, until Sean discovers she had a dark secret and was logging into internet forums about suicide.

We won’t give away what happens next, but Sean’s attention to detail enables him and Ruth to uncover something very shocking indeed.

It’s an unforgettable story, and after it has been broadcast, you can bet that Shearsmith won’t be able to stay anonymous for long.

New series. The comedian returns to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in London, as well as visiting the charity’s sister sites at Brands Hatch in Kent and Old Windsor in Berkshire. In the first edition, he meets four Labrador cross puppies, an overweight Jack Russell cross with a love of cheese, and a family who think their missing pet may have ended up in Battersea’s care. Leoni, Adam and their daughter Madison came across a photo of a familiar-looking dog on the home’s website that they are hoping is the Rottweiler cross they lost a year ago.

Educating the East End

Channel 4, 9pm

The first day at a new school can be stressful for kids; we’ve been looking forward to our first glimpse of Frederick Bremer School in Walthamstow, east London, for ages now though. That’s the setting for the new series from the makers of Educating Essex and Educating Yorkshire, but it’s not just us who’re new here - the comprehensive school has a new teacher, in the form of Mr Bispham.

He’s keen and eager to make a positive impact on his charges’ lives, but he soon learns that the job isn’t always plain sailing - especially when it comes to Year 9 girls. One of the pupils, Tawny, has her heart set on a place in the prestigious Brit School for Performing Arts & Technology - however, so does her best friend, Alice.

With only a very few coveted spots up for grabs, the pair are competing directly against one another. Meanwhile, 14-year-old Acacia is having a difficult time - as if being a teenager wasn’t hard enough already, her mother is sick in hospital, so the staff at the school do their best to help her through. Like its predecessors, Educating the East End is told with heart, honesty and humour - unmissable.

Educating the East End

Friday

Piers Morgan’s Life Stories: Alesha Dixon

ITV, 9pm

Piers is back for a new run of his candid interview series. First up to face the host’s probing questions is singer and Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon, who talks about the many highs and lows of her career in the music industry.

And if anyone knows about the peaks and troughs of the showbiz world, it’s Alesha - after finding fame with Mis-Teeq and as a solo artist, she lost her record contract and found out her husband MC Harvey of So Solid Crew was having an affair, all in the space of a couple of weeks.

She also opens up about the trauma she experienced as a child, when her mother was the victim of domestic violence - something she doesn’t usually discuss too readily during most interviews.

More recently, she faced a public backlash after she was named as Arlene Phillips’ replacement as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, with many people unhappy with Phillips’ dismissal.

Alesha, though, more than proved herself. These days she manages to successfully juggle motherhood with both songwriting and her TV work, which, as she explains to Piers, is not without its challenges.

Helimeds

ITV Wales, 8pm

The red helicopters of the Wales Air Ambulance take to the skies in this new six-part series, presented by Andrea Byrne.

Following the pilots and paramedics of the WAA's three helicopters, the cameras are given access aboard as the team undertake dramatic rescue operations in some of the most remote parts of Wales.

The crews respond to emergency calls from their bases at Welshpool, Caernarfon and Swansea airports.

Gino’s Italian Escape: A Taste of the Sun

ITV Wales, 11.40pm

New series. Chef Gino D’Acampo sets off on another tour of his home country, this time exploring the north of Italy. In the first edition he examines the food that has shaped the city of Florence, beginning by tackling the bistecca alla Fiorentina - a thick and juicy steak - before preparing sliced T-bone with a colourful courgette ribbon and goat’s cheese salad.

He then heads to the town of Prato, sampling a pastry chef’s speciality brioche buns with an aromatic, creamy filling, and conjuring up his own dessert of apple poached in red wine with amaretti biscuit cream.

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